We Shall Not Forget
by Meilin Rae
Summary: After ending her relationship with Ryo, Mia discovers her feelings for Sage. After their marriage, a number of tragedies hit the Ronin Warriors and their friends. The remaining people are forced to deal with their lives now that their friends are gone....
1. We Shall Not Forget Ch. 1

We Shall Not Forget  
By Meilin Rae  
  
  
Disclaimers: Okay, I don't own Ronin Warriors, or anything affiliated with Ronin Warriors. I also do not own the idea of the Lady Ronin Guardians. I borrowed that from a friend. There's also a line that refers to Julia Roberts, and another part that refers to Jack Nicholson. I sure don't own them, or anything affiliated with them. But, I do own Jenna, Molli, Whitny, Akira, Rica, Elle, Bryan, Alexis, Nolan, Colby, Jon and Andria. I also own the term "horndoggin'", and I didn't steal it from the story "Horndoggin" because I co-wrote that story!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Ryo and Mia sat alone, peacefully concentrating on their own seperate things. They had broken up that morning, after dating for over a year. Ryo had obviously fallen in love with someone else, and Mia had some feelings that she was still confused about.   
  
"Ahem." Ryo cleared his throat as he put down his sword. He had been cleaning it for hours. Mia looked up from her book and arched her eyebrows, watching Ryo sheath his sword. She had just gotten back from a trip that morning at six.  
  
~Oh God, why did he have to leave me? I miss him so much!~ Mia's thoughts were interrupted by Sage.  
  
"Mia, where in the hell have you been?" Sage asked, bending over and breathing heavily.  
  
"What are you talking about? I've been here for hours, just reading this book." Mia looked at Sage and then at Ryo, who looked equally confused.  
  
"What are you talking about Sage? She's been here for almost seven hours," Ryo said.  
  
"Yes, but she called me this morning and wanted to meet me for breakfast, and I've been looking everywhere for her!" Sage replied, which just confused Ryo more. However, Mia's memory kicked in and she recalled having done that because of the breakup. She had needed someone to talk to and Sage came to her mind first.  
  
"I'm so sorry Sage. I totally forgot! I was just a little preoccupied. Sorry. Do you want to go have a late lunch?" Mia tried to make up for missing breakfast.  
  
"Okay, but, please don't scare me like that again, okay?" Sage said, pulling her away.  
  
Ryo raised his eyebrows and watched Mia allow herself to be pulled away by Sage.  
  
~God, I wish I had never cheated on her. But she doesn't know that I cheated. I hope she doesn't find out. Why was I such an idiot? I still love her too much to let her go.~ Ryo snapped back into the real world when he heard something upstairs. It was just Rica.  
  
~  
  
On the ride to the restaurant, there was a very long silence, and Mia shifted her eyes away from Sage, whom she had been staring at the whole time.  
  
~Why am I staring at Sage all of a sudden? I'm not attracted to him...well, a little. God! We're only friends, aren't we?~  
  
"Mia? Mia?!" Sage had been trying to get her attention.  
  
"What?! Sorry. What do you need Sage?" Mia asked.  
  
"We're here. I've said your name like four times. Are you okay?" Sage looked at Mia curiously.  
  
"Well, let's go and eat. I'm starving, Mia said, a little nervously.  
  
~I wonder what's wrong with her. She's never like this.~ Sage smiled at Mia, ignoring his thoughts and concentrating on getting in the restaurant.  
  
"Well, okay," Sage said, grabbing Mia's hand and guiding her through.  
  
Mia smiled back at Sage and playfully pulled him through the door. He laughed, but wiped the smile off of his face when they sat at the table.  
  
"I have to talk to you about something, Sage. It's very personal, and I hope you'll understand." Mia sighed heavily and looked at Sage pitifully. She shifted her eyes to meet his gaze.  
  
"Yes, Mia? What is it?" Sage asked. He leaned back into his his chair uncomfortably.  
  
"Sage?! Hey man, what's going on?" Cye slapped Sage on the back and smiled at Mia. "Hey Mia, what's up? Hey, where's Ryo?"  
  
Mia covered that quickly. She lied through her teeth. "He went home. He wasn't feeling good."  
  
Sage raised his eyebrows, but didn't confront her. That was probably part of her personal problem.  
  
"Oh, well, I've got to go guys. I'll talk to you later." Cye walked off without another word.  
  
Sage took that opportunity to continue with his conversation with Mia. "So, Mia, what do you want to say?"  
  
Mia sighed and began to tell Sage what she was going through. "Well, here goes."  
  
"Can I take your order, or would you like a few more moments?" The waiter asked.  
  
"God! We will have white wine and chicken alfredo, please. NOW GO!" Sage was getting very irritated.  
  
"Yes sir! Very sorry sir." The waiter hurried away.  
  
Mia laughed at Sage's impatience, and then stifled her giggle and continued. "Okay, I have some news and some information. I'll give you the information first." She paused and looked at Sage.  
  
"Yes, go on. The information and then the news." Sage smiled at Mia and assured her that he was listening.  
  
"Okay, I believe that I have feelings for you, Sage. I think that I'm in love with you." Mia paused again when the waiter returned.  
  
"Your wine, sir, ma'am." The waiter placed the wine glasses on the table and hurried away again.  
  
"You love me? What? Where the hell did that come from Mia?" Sage asked. "You're Ryo's girlfriend!"  
  
"Now to my news. Ryo and I broke up this morning. Ryo loves someone else. Does he, Sage? You know him well. Tell me, is he in love with someone else?" Mia questioned.  
  
"No. I don't think that's possible. I mean, how could he? You're beautiful and you're smart, and funny, and...and oh, God Mia. I love you too," Sage said to Mia's surprise.  
  
Sage leaned over the table and pulled Mia to him, kissing her gently, and then probing her mouth with his tongue. Mia let out a soft moan, bringing Sage back to reality, and he stopped.  
  
"We shouldn't be doing this, especially not here, Mia," Sage said, returning to his seat.  
  
"You're right, Sage. It's just wrong. We shouldn't be doing this. Let's just sit back and enjoy our lunch, okay?" Mia smiled.  
  
"Agreed. Let's get started. Here comes the waiter." Sage looked up at the waiter, who sat the plates down and carefully stepped away. "Thank you," Sage said with a smile, surprising the man.  
  
"Yes, of course, sir," the waiter mumbled.  
  
Mia cleared her throat and picked up her fork to begin her meal. "So, Sage, are you enjoying scaring the restaurant employees?" Mia asked when the waiter had left.  
  
"Oh, yeah. They're hilarious. I like to yell at them and then be nice," Sage replied, taking a bite of his chicken.  
  
The rest of the lunch, Mia and Sage made polite conversation and pretended like they were still just friends and nothing had happened. After a while, though, it was getting pretty sickening, so Mia spoke up.  
  
"Sage, can we leave and go somewhere to be alone? I really think we need to talk about what went on." Mia looked at Sage with her glowing eyes and he couldn't say no.  
  
"Check, please!" Sage called out to the waiter. Soon, the waiter came with their check and nodded good-day to them.  
  
"I'll get the check, Sage," Mia said.  
  
"No, I will. You go wait outside. I'll meet you out there in a few minutes." Sage grabbed the black book and shooed Mia away. He put the amount in the slot and a generous tip on the table. Then, he walked outside to meet a red-eyed Mia.  
  
~  
  
"Ryo, who is Mia?" Rica, a young, black haired, blue eyed woman questioned.  
  
"What? Oh, Mia is my...ex-girlfriend. She and I had a messy breakup. She still lives here, though. She was more like a sister than a girlfriend to me," Ryo replied.  
  
"She still lives here?"  
  
"Yes. She's like a mentor to the other guys. Let's not talk about her, okay? I really don't like her. Hey, Rica, let's talk about us. What are we doing tonight?"  
  
Rica, Ryo's new flame, looked puzzled. "I thought we were going to a movie. Did you want to do something else, sweetie?"  
  
"No, I just wanted to make sure of that. You still want to see that new Julia Robert's movie?" Ryo asked.  
  
"I believe that's what we agreed on. Sweetheart, are you uncomfortable because I mentioned Mia?" Rica looked at Ryo curiously.  
  
"No, I'm fine. Let's just go upstairs and..." Ryo didn't finish his sentence. Rica smothered his words with a kiss.  
  
~  
  
"Mia, what's wrong? Why are your eyes so red? You look like you've been crying. Mia?" Sage looked at Mia and suddenly kissed her.  
  
"Sage, I love you too much to say. I'm afraid of how I feel about you. I feel like I've been hiding these feelings for so long, and I have. I've loved you since the first day I met you. God, how did it work out like this? You're my best friend, but I wish you were more. I wish I could spend the rest of my life with you. I just wish that you and I could...run away and..."  
  
"I wish you would've told me sooner. I would've had time to go ring shopping. Now, how am i supposed to propose to you and be romantic without a ring?" Sage asked, looking at Mia with lovestruck eyes.  
  
"Oh, my gosh, Sage, are you saying that you want to marry me?" Mia threw her arms around Sage's neck and kissed him passionately.  
  
"Hey, you weren't the only one who was holding back feelings. I mean, we developed a friendship that was untouchable, and I realized my feelings for you. I just want you to know how much I've been hiding those feelings. I love you so much Mia. Please, marry me. That would make me the happiest man in the world. I love you Mia. Please, be my wife." Sage took hold of Mia and kissed her back, even more passionately than before.  
  
~  
  
"Hey, Kento, isn't that Sage and Mia over there smooching? Whoa! Ryo's gonna be pissed off!" Rowen nudged Kento in the side, and then pulled him away and behind a car when Mia and Sage looked their way.  
  
"Hey, Rowen, what's the big idea? They don't care if we see, or they shouldn't, since they were kissing so openly. Get over it. Maybe she was...um...choking, or something. That's all, I'm sure." Kento took another bite out of his chocolate-covered, glazed donut.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm Jack Nicholson. She was choking about as much as you hate food," Rowen mumbled under his breath. There had to be something behind this. Mia wouldn't cheat on Ryo, would she?  
  
~  
  
Cye walked slowly toward th large, five story house. Each Ronin had a floor, and each Ronin had a guest room. Up until now, Ryo had shared a floor with Mia.  
  
When Cye walked in the house, what he saw almost gave him a heart attack.  
  
"Oh, my God! What in the hell are you doing Ryo?! Don't you have any respect for Mia? Kissing another woman?! My God! Are you sick?" Cye reacted like a brother should.  
  
"Calm down, Cye. Just because you're my older brother doesn't mean you have to treat me like a baby." Rica, Cye's little sister, replied to Cye's eruption.  
  
"Not only is it sick that you're kissing my little sister, but you're already taken! My sister comes to visit and you almost jump her bones the second day she's here! Just because Mia was away on business and didn't get back until six this morning, and Rica doesn't know her doesn't give you a right to cheat on Mia!"  
  
"I thought Mia was your ex-girlfriend, Ryo. What's going on?" Rica looked at Ryo with confused eyes.  
  
"Mia is my ex, and Cye, I can't help that Rica and I are attracted. Give it up. Mia will find another man to love." Ryo tried to say her name as little as possible. "Mia...and I broke up this morning. We are done. She's moving out."  
  
"Oh, God. What in the hell? Then, she and Sage must have been on a date. I saw them at a restaurant downtown. Wow. Are they dating now?"  
  
"Not that I know of. I thought they were just going to lunch. I don't really care. Now, if you don't mind, Rica and I were trying to talk." Ryo nodded to the door, and Cye didn't argue. He just walked out, shuddering at the thought of his best friend and his little sister horndoggin' together.  
  
~  
  
"Sage, don't you think that we're being a little public? Anybody could see us," Mia looked at Sage and forgot everything that she had said. God, she loved this man.  
  
~How could I not see it before? Maybe I did, though. I have loved Sage for so long, yet now my dreams are coming true. Marriage. True love. Maybe someday a family...~  
  
"Um, Mia, Sage, are you two an item? I mean, you two sure are kissing like you're an item." Kento had broken the two up.  
  
"Well, Kento, as a matter of fact, we are an item. We're an engaged item. We got engaged today, just a few minutes ago." Mia wasted no time spreading the news.  
  
"Really? Are you two serious? That's...well, wait a minute, aren't you and Ryo still together?" Rowen spoke up next.  
  
"Ryo and Mia broke up this morning. Mia and I have felt this way for a long time, Rowen. We just want everyone to know that. We're getting married. We don't have a date yet," Sage looked at Mia and smiled, "but we will soon."  
  
"Wow. You two don't waste any time. You had to have felt like this for a very long time to have both agreed to marriage so soon," Kento said with a grin.  
  
"Yes, Kento, you're right. We sure don't waste time..." Sage began.  
  
"Because we love one another," Mia finished.  
  
"Well, alrighty then. I don't mind what you two do, but we ain't gonna tell Ryo. He can blow up on you two. I'm strictly a neutral friend!" Rowen exclaimed in jest.  
  
~  
  
"Okay, how in the world did my little sis move in so fast?! The little homewrecker!" Cye had made his way up the back steps all the way to the fourth floor, which he shared with his girlfriend, Jenna.  
  
"Calm down, Cye. You know that you act irrationally sometimes. Maybe they do love one another." Jenna was always the calmer of the two, and she proved it in this situation. She sat at her vanity table, brushing her long brown hair, trying to calm Cye down.  
  
"Alright, but what was it, love at first sight? God, I can't stand this! How do I look at them in the face?!" Cye yelled, irritated.  
  
"Cye..." Jenna warned.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, whatever. I'm calm, okay. That's just me. You know that."  
  
"I know Cye, and I still love you."  
  
~  
  
"Ryo, do you still ove her? I know you said you dated her for a year, but is it really over? I have to know." Rica smiled at Ryo as she perched herself on his lap.  
  
"I wanted to marry her, at one point in time, but no, I don't love her anymore," Ryo said.  
  
"Oh, so you had planned to ask her, but you...fell out of love with her?" Rica looked at Ryo once again, and he couldn't help but answer her questions.  
  
"Yes. Pretty much, I guess. You could say it that way. That's a little simpler, I suppose." Ryo planted a light kiss on Rica's lips.  
  
"Good. I'm glad that you're all mine now."  
  
~  
  
"Marriage is a small step for us. We should've done it a long time ago. I can't imagine my life without Mia now," Sage said.  
  
"It's good to have that. I wish I could find someone like that to love me. Well, you know what I mean," Kento said in response to his own stupidity.  
  
"Kento, just stop talking. You just can't pull off the innocent act at all. You know that everybody loves you," Rowen laughed.  
  
"Whatever. Hey! Since you guys know about it, and nobody else does, do y'all want to go ring shopping with us? Sage and I have agreed that it's best if we go home with rings." Mia smiled at Sage, Kento and Rowen.  
  
"Okay," Rowen relented.  
  
"Sure!" Kento exclaimed, excited about his priveledge.  
  
"Let's go," Sage commanded in a friendly voice.  
  
~  
  
"We shouldn't be doing this," Ryo said to Rica. "You don't know how Kento is about his food, do you? Well, he's very protective. And do you know what he'll do if his Cool Whip is missing? He'll kill!" Ryo joked, but only in half-jest.  
  
"It's okay. Just let it all go. Forget about Kento. Just concentrate on you and me." Rica grabbed Ryo and pulled him to the fifth floor, where Ryo lived, previously with Mia.  
  
~  
  
"Are you okay now Cye? Now that you've had your massage, are you feeling better?" Jenna looked at Cye's clothes on the floor. She was always good at getting him out of them. It was getting him back into them that was difficult.  
  
"Yes. I feel a lot better. Do you want a massage, darling? I'll return the favor if you want," Cye replied, stepping out of the bathroom in boxers.  
  
"I'm okay. I'll just save my ticket for when I'm tense."  
  
~  
  
"Hey, you guys, look at this one! It's so...it's just...cool," Rowen said, pointing at a silver-banded, diamond-studded ring." It has a diamond in the center, and little studs around it. How cool is that?!"  
  
"I like it. Sage, what do you think? It has a matching ring for the husband. What do you say? We can have them inscribed. That would be nice," Mia said, looking at Sage.  
  
"I think it's marvelous. Kento, how about you?" Sage looked around, and found Kento looking at jewelry on the other side of the store.  
  
"Ooh! That's nice! Get it!" Kento said, jumping up and down.  
  
"Down beast!" Rowen said. "My girlfriend works here!" He nodded to a pretty woman at the counter.  
  
"Oh, her? That's Whitny Michaels. She's famous for her curly hair. She does those Thermasilk commercials, right?" Kento asked.  
  
"Yes, she's awesome, too," Rowen replied. "We've got rings that match."  
  
"Why? Are you two planning on getting married too?" Kento teased.  
  
"Can I help you...oh, Rowen!" Whitny walked over to the four friends and smiled. "Wow, Rowen, why are you here? Are you shopping?"  
  
"Um...no, sorry sweetie, but my friends Sage and Mia are shopping for rings. They're getting married," Rowen said.  
  
"Oh, when did y'all get engaged?" Whitny asked, turning to the couple that was holding hands.  
  
"Oh, today. Just a few minutes ago. It's kind of spur of the moment, Miss Michaels," Mia smiled.  
  
"Really?...Oh, I'm sorry I'm being so nosy..." Whitny smiled at Sage and then at Mia.  
  
"It's alright. No problem. We need to get used to it anyways. Well, we have had feelings for one another for quite some time and we just now got the idea of getting married. She was kind of...attached before," Sage said.  
  
"That is so romantic! Wow! Well, anyways, I hate to be the salesperson right now, but can I help you with anything?" Whitny asked.  
  
"Yes, we've made up our minds. We want those," Mia said, nodding to the silver ring set. "We also want to inscribe them. Is that okay?"  
  
"No problem. I can have that done in no time. What would you like them to say?" Whitny smiled.  
  
"Well, I want his to say 'My love, forever.-Mia.'" Mia looked at Sage with heartfelt warmth.  
  
"And, I want hers to say 'I will always be with you.-Sage.'" Sage returned the look.  
  
"Aw...I think I got something in my eye. Jeebus!" Rowen exclaimed, wiping away a tear.  
  
"Yeah, me too. Waaah!" Kento cried, dropping every ounce of manliness that he pretended to have.  
  
"I've got it. It'll take my boss a few hours. Do you guys wanna go somewhere and then come back?" Whitny asked.  
  
"That'd be great," Mia said.  
  
~  
  
"Ryo, you sure know how to use your tongue," Rica commented.  
  
"I learned at a young age," Ryo purred back.  
  
They had been making love for only thirty minutes, and both were spent. So much for long adventures.  
  
"So, do you think Kento will be angry? I mean, we used all of his Cool Whip," Rica laughed.  
  
"Speaking of which, I missed a spot," Ryo said, licking the sweet Cool Whip off of Rica's stomach.  
  
"Hey, that tickles!" Rica laughed. She pulled his face close to hers and planted a kiss on his lips.  
  
"You know, that tickles, too," Ryo smiled. "But, I guess I'm just too ticklish."  
  
"I think you're just too sexy."  
  
"Oh, and you aren't, you little tartlet?" Ryo looked at Rica and laughed. "You are going to get me in a lot of trouble."  
  
"Maybe, but you should've known that from the beginning."  
  
~  
  
"Oh, God, you don't know how much I love you, Jenna. You torture me in a good way." Cye smiled at Jenna's nude form beside his own. "You almost made me forget about what a tramp my sister is."  
  
"That's a romantic thing to say after you make love to a woman, Cye. You must be some lady killer." Jenna looked at Cye.  
  
~Oh, my God. That is so repulsive. To be thinking about his sister after we just made love! No wonder he was single when I met him!~  
  
"Is something wrong, Jenna? You seem a little uptight. You wanna talk?" Cye asked.  
  
~God. Do I wanna talk? Hell no! I wanna kick your ass for talking about your sister after sex!~  
  
"No, I guess you don't. I'm such an idiot. Now you're mad at me. I'll leave and come back when you cool off." Cye dressed quickly, ignoring anything that Jenna might have said.  
  
"I love you! Be careful Cye!" Jenna yelled when he slammed their door.  
  
As he made his way downstairs, Cye heard giggling from the fifth floor. "WHORE!" Cye screamed, directing the comment toward his sister. However, the only one who heard it was Jenna.  
  
~  
  
"Wow, Sage. I can't believe we're getting married. That's so...wonderful! I just want to...I don't know! Do something crazy or something!" Mia exclaimed.  
  
Rowen and Kento had left to have lunch with Whitny while the rings were being inscribed by her boss. Knowing Kento's eating habits, they probably wouldn't be back for a while.  
  
"Well, what do you want to do? We have a few hours alone until the rings are done. We can do anything you want. We can...jump out of an airplane kissing if you wanted to," Sage joked.  
  
~  
  
"I cannot believe that he called you a whore, Jenna! That bloody bastard! He just yelled it at you after you two had a scrape?" Rica asked. Jenna had come upstairs to cry on someone's shoulder, and Rica was the only one awake.  
  
"Well, we just had a disagreement, not a fight," Jenna said. "I don't know why he called me a whore, and I don't care. I'm just leaving. If he asks, don't tell him I told you. Don't even tell him I came up here, okay? I don't want him to know." Jenna ran out of the room without another word, and Rica smiled to herself.  
  
~Good. One down, four to go. I have to find Mia and get rid of her. Then, I can concentrate on finding the other three who are destined to bear the Lady Ronin Guardian Armors. It shouldn't be that difficult.~ 


	2. We Shall Not Forget Ch. 2

We Shall Not Forget  
By: Meilin Rae  
  
  
Disclaimers: If you don't remember the ones from Chapter 1, well tough shit.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
~  
  
The rings were inscribed, and Sage and Mia announced their engagement. Although Ryo wasn't too happy, he got over it. When Mia found out the Rica was the one Ryo loved, it made her sick. When Ryo confessed that he had cheated on her with Rica, however, Mia blew up. It took Sage, Rowen, Cye, and Kento to restrain her from killing both Rica and Ryo.  
  
A few hours weny by, and Cye realized that Jenna was gone and had taken all her stuff. Cye went on a rampage of his own, but calmed down after a while. He realized that Jenna was gone, for good.  
  
Sage and Mia decided on a date three weeks from the day and began to plan. Mia found the perfect dress and announced the her little sister would be her Maid of Honor and only Bridesmaid.  
  
Whitny's acting career took a turn for the best and worst. She got a part in an upcoming movie and she had to go away, but she promised to be back soon.  
  
Mia continued to plan her wedding and was prepared. She had her ring, a dress, the church, and Rowen as Sage's Best Man. The story continues the day of the wedding at the church. Everyone is getting ready, and the wedding is about to begin.  
  
~  
  
"Hurry up Molli! It's almost time! Oh, my gosh sis, I'm so excited. This is a dream come true. I wish that mom and dad had lived to see this." Mia looked at her little sister and smiled. She looked so beautiful. This was the first time Mia had seen Molli in a dress.  
  
"Gosh Mia, you look so beautiful. I wish that you could have mom and dad here to see this. They would love this." Molli brushed back a loose strand of hair on her older sister forehead.  
  
"Thanks sis. Hey, you know we fight a lot, but I am always going to love you cause you are my one and only sister. I love you, Skinny Grill. You are my family." Mia felt hot tears come to her eyes but she blinked them away. "Well, let's get crackin'. There's your cue."  
  
Molli smiled and picked up her bouquet, grabbing a hold of Cye's arm. They marched down the aisle to meet the awaiting goom, Sage. Sage just smiled at them.  
  
~They look so cute together. Maybe they should hook up.~ Sage's thoughts were split in half when the music began that would bring his beautiful Mia to him. That was the woman that he would spend his life with.  
  
Mia slowly paced herself walking down the aisle. Sage would have her for eternity. He could wait a few minutes though. She tortured him with her body the past few weeks and her eyes now. He had loved her more than Ryo had in a year those past few weeks.  
  
Mia finally made her way to altar and smiled at Sage. This was the man she loved. This was the man she was marrying.  
  
Everyone held their breath when the priest asked if anyone had any objections to the marriage. They all turned to where Ryo was supposed to be seated, but he wasn't there. Rica was absent as well. Cye was in the front row with Kento, and Kento's girlfriend, Akira.   
  
Everyone smiled when the couple kissed and began their walk down the aisle together. The deal was that Molli and Rowen were going on the honeymoon trip to Cancun with Mia and Sage. That way Rowen and Molli could have a little fun as well. They would not only be in Cancun for a week, but a year, so that Mia and Sage could spen come time away from the house together. Molli was going because Mia refused to leave her sister out, and Rowen was going to get his mind off of Whitny.   
  
~  
  
"I'm so excited to be going to Cancun with you guys. Thanks Mia. This is the greatest!" Molli exclaimed as she took her seat beside Rowen on the plane.  
  
"Well, we're happy to have you along, Molli," Sage smiled at his sister-in-law. "And Rowen, this is the great trip to get your mind off of you know who."  
  
"Yeah, right. Whatever. If you say so," Rowen said sarcastically. He missed Whitny ...very badly.  
  
"Aw, cheer up Rowen. You'll see her soon, I'm sure," Mia said, turning around to face Rowen and Molli, who were in the row behind her and Sage.  
  
~  
  
The rest of the plane ride was fairly quiet, expect for a little small talk with the other passengers. When they arrived at Cancun they got a cab and rode to a small cottage that Sage had rented for a year. They settled in and began their new lives at the cottage. The months went by and Mia became pregnant. She had twins, a girl and a boy, and the four took good care of them.   
  
When it was time to leave Cancun, Rowen and the twins, Elle and Bryan, took a seperate plane home, because the twins were irritable and needed to be home as soon as possible. Mia booked a flight for herself, Sage, and Molli for the next day, and they spent one more day in the beautiful Cancun.   
  
As the story continues, they are boarding the plane.  
  
~  
  
"Sage, darling, don't forget the picture! I don't want to lose it. It's the only picture of you, me, Molli, Rowen, and the kids, and I want to put it in the baby album, okay?" Mia asked.  
  
"I have it in the wine bottle that we drank from on our honeymoon night. I thought that was a cute memory," Sage said.  
  
The three walked on the plane and took their seats. After a few minutes, the plane took off. It was a smooth ride, up until they got to the states. Then the trouble began.  
  
"Oh gosh, Mia! We're going down! God help us!" Molli screamed.  
  
Sage looked at Mia and she nodded. They got up and hugged one another, as well as Molli, and then they all huddled together, holding hands, as the plane went down.  
  
  
~  
Rowen arrived home with the twins, and was greeted be Kento, Akira, and their baby boy, Colby Rei Faun.  
  
"Hey, who's that?" Rowen asked, nodding towards Colby.  
  
"This is my ...our ...son, Colby. He's still small, but he's young, so he'll grow," Kento said. "They must be Elle and Bryan. Look Akira. They're so cute."  
  
"Yes, they are. They both look just like Sage. Oh, by the way, Kenot and I were married shortly after you all left. But Cye wasn't there to see it. He left in search of Jenna. He never made it far though. He died in a car crash, caused by the Dynsaty. Ryo isn't doing too well either. He was with him, and he's hanging on by a thread in Intensive Care," Akira stopped for a breath that was way overdue.  
  
"We can't find Rica, or at least Rica's body," Kento added.  
  
"Whatta ya mean?" Rowen asked when they reached the SUV and had all of the kids safely placed in car seats.  
  
As Kento took his place in the driver's seat, he replied, "Kayura had taken over her body. We're guessing Rica, the real one, is dead. But, we can't seem to place her body. Oh, Whitny called a few days ago to let you know that she found her posers as a Lady Ronin Guardian, just like Mia and Akira. Molli hasn't yet, I'm sure, but there will be plenty of time for that."  
  
"Okay. Sure, whatever." Rowen didn't feel like talking. He just wanted to get home and sleep in his own bed.  
  
"Well, we should expect Whitny back anytime, but we need to be alert for a new attack from the Dynasty. That could happen at any moment," Kento said.  
  
The rest of the drive home was peaceful, except for Kento's stomach growling. Apparently, it had been five minutes since he last ate.  
  
When they got home and were all settled, Rowen crashed in his room. He slept through the rest of the day, and into the night. He woke to the feeling of Kento shaking him.  
  
"Hey man, what da fuck you doin' shakin' me like that?! I could've woke up and killed you!" Rowen screamed. When he saw Kento, he calmed down. "Yo?! Why you cryin? You have another bad dream?"  
  
"No. Not a bad dream. Bad news. Mia, Sage, and Molli aren't here." Kento tried to hold back his tears, but he couldn't. "Their plane went down over Virginia Beach, Virginia. There were no survivors. The authorities said that if the plane had been twenty feet off, it would have crashed in the water, but it didn't, and they all died. I'm so...I can't stop..." Kento couldn't get the words out.  
  
"Oh, my God. They died?! They can't die! They just had kids! And...man, why did Mia have to take a plane that stopped in Virginia? You can't tell me shit like this!" Rowen screamed.  
  
The rest of the week was spent making funeral arrangements for everyone, including Ryo. He died in intensive care the day after the plane went down. Akira followed shortly after, dying in a terrible car accident on her way to work.  
  
At the deepest moment of need, Whitny and Jenna showed up. Jenna brouhgt with her two bundles of joy, her and Cye's children, Alexis and Nolan. Whitny also carried a little girl, whom Rowen was happy to see. She had named her Andria.  
  
Everyone that had arrived got settled in, and when it came time to eat dinner, everyone ate a lot. Everyone except Jenna. She never showed up for dinner. They found her body near the beach. It was the place she and Cye had first made love.  
  
Jenna had snuck off and taken with her Cye's retired Yari. She had stabbed herself because of all of her anguish. She was too weak to handle it. However, before she died, she had coincidentally found something floating in the water. It was a wine bottle.  
  
Rowen walked over to Jenna's body and stared hatefully at her. "You selfish bitch! You good for nothing bitch! Don't you think we were depressed? Didn't you? We all thought about this! But you...you were weak. You let them win! Well, I can't dammit!"  
  
Whitny walked over to Rowen and grasped his arm. She spotted the bottle and picked it up, handing it to Rowen. He smashed it on a nearby rock.  
  
"So you drank too! Fucking bitch!" Rowen screamed. But then, he broke down. He saw the picture, and he remembered.  
  
"This picture. The bottle must have flew from the plane when it crashed. Look, on the beach there's some more stuff. It's ironic that it came here. I hate fucking destiny. I miss the fun times. This picture was taken right after Mia got out of the hospital. We took it on the beach." Rowen fell to his knees, wetting the sand with his tears.  
  
In some ways, he was happy that everyone had moved to California, because of the beach, but now he hated the beach. Somebody, well, a lot of people had to have helped that bottle get to the other side of North America. Fate was a good player and a bad player, and the world was the team. Rowen hated being on that team. It sucked most of the time, and he almost always lost.  
  
~  
  
The few survivors of fate's cruel game eventually healed, and got back to their normal lives. Rowen and Whitny got married and had another child, Jon. Eventually, they had to face the one person that caused all of their pain, Kayura. Needless to say, Kayura got her ass beat down, as Rowen stated. When Whitny's movie came out, the group got together, and they all went to see it. It was a good thing that she only had a short part and they had filmed it when she wasn't showing signs of pregnancy. The movie, Sunset Kisses, was a big hit, and everyone loved it. The Ronin Warriors are still alive in the children, and soon they will be old enough and strong enough to train.  
  
The chain of love created by those who died would not be broken. Rowen made sure of that. He kept the picture in his room and cried every night for Mia and Sage, as well as young Molli. Rowen and Whitny adopted Elle and Bryan, and Kento adopted Alexis and Nolan.  
  
Everyone still lives in that five story house. They refused to move. It would mean that they had forgotten. When the children were old enough to understand, Rowen, Whitny, and Kento took them to the gravesites.  
  
~  
  
"Kids, these were our friends that passed away and went to heaven," Rowen said.  
  
The gravesites were lined up in a row: Mia Date, Sage Date, Jenna Stryker, Rica Mouri, Molli Koji, Ryo Sanada, and Akira Rei Faun. They all remain in the hearts of their friends.  
  
When Kento took the kids back to the SUV's, Rowen and Whitn remained behind. Rowen placed a single white rose on each grave, and then returned to Whiny's side. With tears in his eyes, Rowen said his words, "Guys, I'll keep reminding them all of you, and you'll live on. When times get rough, we'll think of you guys. Oh, and I promise that we won't forget." With his goodbye said, Rowen could go on.  
  
Whitny smiled at her husband. "That's right, Rowen. We shall not forget." 


End file.
